BATON ROUGE – In recognition of a lifetime of service to both LSU and the Louisiana fire service community, the LSU Fire and Emergency Training Institute, or FETI, will be renamed the Carrol L. Herring Fire and Emergency Training Institute at a 9 a.m. ceremony at LSU FETI on Monday, July 30.

Herring was hired as a coordinator to the newly-formed LSU Firemen Training program on Oct. 1, 1963. Prior to accepting the position, Herring spent 15 years in the Baton Rouge Fire Department. Shortly after his hiring, Herring toured the state to determine fire service training needs and created a standard training class that was widely used and quickly adopted by the Louisiana fire service.

In 1969, Herring became director of LSU Firemen Training and began to mold the program into one of the nation’s premier fire training organizations. He is credited with building the props and programs, which make the institute the go-to agency for fire, medical and rescue training, as well as with building the outstanding reputation earned by LSU Firemen Training on national and even international levels.

Herring resigned from his LSU post in 1981, when he was appointed State Fire Marshal by Gov. Dave Treen. He served as Fire Marshal until his retirement with the state of Louisiana in 1990. In 1999, Herring was called back to lead LSU Firemen Training – now known as LSU Fire and Emergency Training Institute. He continued his legacy of service and commitment to the fire service until his second retirement, in 2005.

“Mr. Herring’s vision is what you see when you visit the institute today,” he said. “His life’s work was training and educating firefighters in what is perhaps one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. He constantly was at work for both the safety of Louisiana citizens and Louisiana firefighters and crafted most of the programs still in use today.”

The FETI main training facility is located three miles from the LSU main campus in Baton Rouge. One of only a few fossil-fueled training facilities left in the United States, FETI’s large-scale fire training props can both realistically simulate actual industrial emergencies and keep trainees safe through a series of engineered control systems. In 2007, LSU FETI opened the Pine Country training facility in Minden, La., to better serve the North Louisiana fire service. LSU FETI also places experienced fire training officers throughout the state to work one-on-one with regional fire chiefs to design personalized training unique to their respective departments.

LSU FETI reports to the Stephenson National Center for Security Research and Training, or SNCSRT. LSU established SNCSRT to coordinate efforts in security research and training. The university is currently a leader in providing training on anti-terrorism and counter-terrorism techniques and regularly supports projects initiated by state and federal law enforcement agencies.